Renae Dumdei never imagined the home she grew up in, a place her family has cherished for generations, would be reduced to a shell of what it once was.
A devastating fire recently swept through her property outside of Trent earlier this month, leaving Renae and her son, Dennis, without a home just weeks before the holidays. Much of the roof has collapsed, and extensive water damage from firefighting efforts has rendered the main part of the house unlivable. Investigators believe the blaze was caused by an electrical malfunction.

Dennis, who was home alone at the time, was awakened by the sound of the front door shattering near the fire’s believed point of origin. Startled, he managed to escape with one of the family’s beloved dogs. Tragically, the family believed their second dog, Lily, was lost in the fire.
Dumdei asked Trent Fire Chief Tom Scherff to find her, so that she could say goodbye, and he made it his mission to find Lily during a walkthrough of the damaged home. Room by room, he searched until something unexpected happened: a pile of clothes in the corner of Renae’s bedroom closet moved. Miraculously, Lily had survived.
Renae was overcome with relief and gratitude. Although the fire has left her facing an uphill battle to recover and rebuild, she and Dennis remain thankful.
“We’ve lost a lot, but it could have been so much worse,” Renae said, following the loss. For now, they are focusing on what truly matters: their safety, their cherished pets, and the hope of better days ahead.